The Twins' Saturday trade with Tampa Bay for Jake Odorizzi was smart in a lot of ways, given that Odorizzi fills a hole in the rotation, is under team control for the next two years at a reasonable price and didn't cost the Twins a top prospect in return.
Even given all that, it's hard not to feel a little underwhelmed by what the offseason has netted the Twins in terms of starting pitching — at least if that was the final move. Odorizzi has proved to be solid but not elite in his career so far, which describes the high end of a lot of Twins starting pitchers.
If the offseason began with dreams of landing an ace such as Yu Darvish in free agency or a potential ace in a trade like Chris Archer — guys who can be postseason difference-makers — that type of move has not materialized.
Twins bosses have tried, and they've been smart. But it's better to under-promise and over-deliver than the opposite.
Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.
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